GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 2 of 2

God nudges. God speaks. And God also corrects. I’m thankful for that. Sometimes I miss His nudges. Sometimes I misunderstand His words. And so He needs to correct. But God’s correction is not a frightening thing. Rather, it is freeing and invigorating.

Christians who want to reach out to their friends and help them grow sometimes make the mistake of thinking that it’s their job to convict their friends of sin. But this is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 16:7-10). Our job, if we have the gift of exhortation, is to “stimulate the faith of others” (Romans 12:9 PH), to stand on the sidelines and cheer: “Yes, my friends! Be free! Listen to the conviction of the Spirit! Follow the Word of the Lord!”

Most of the time God’s nudging, speaking, and correcting take place in the ordinary moments of our days. Sometimes God seems especially present in a conversation. Occasionally, I sense God leading me to suggest meeting a friend five or six times to discuss a particular issue, book or passage of Scripture. When that happens, I usually tell my friend that I’d like to give her the gift of focusing on her agenda when we get together. This is not chitchat time. It’s not even sharing time. It’s a time to look at her life to see if we can discover what God is saying to her. I love it when people show that kind of interest in me. And you can be sure that others will respond enthusiastically to your interest in them.

Thinking back on my childhood, I’m thankful for those who God has used to nudge me towards the kingdom. I’m delighted that in the years since, God has used me to help others “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30: 19).

God uses ordinary people like you and me, to urge others to follow Him. What a privilege to be a part of His work in the world today!

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 1 of 2

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”  (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a NIV)

God gives all of us a choice to follow Him: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws… I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16; 30:19)  Along the way, people have helped me to choose life by gently “nudging” me to want to be like them.

On the other hand, I can think of too many friends who have turned away from God because of someone’s ill-suited attempts to “disciple” them. In our well-intentioned determination to “clean up” a new believer’s life, we may impose standards and expectations that God never intended.

This, I believe, is because we forget how God works in our lives. He usually works slowly and quietly. He uses circumstances to pattern His own intervention. And He never speaks to me in exactly the same way He speaks to you.

Most important, we must remember that He does the work. It isn’t our work, our influence, or our ideas that cause real growth in another’s life. If we forget that, we can be tempted to manipulate others, and we risk becoming caricatures of people of faith.

As I’ve experienced God’s work in my own life and seen Him work in the lives of others, I’ve noticed that He does three things: He nudges, He speaks, and He corrects. We grow -- we choose life -- when we respond to His activity in our lives. We help others choose life, too, when we understand and participate in God’s work as He nudges them, speaks to them, and corrects them. 

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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